Thomas green



(No Model.)

T.GREEN I FASTENING FOR LAGBS. No. 256,999. Patented Apr.2'5, 1882.

1527/63 16)? Ioms @7682? N. PEYERS mlo-umo n hn. Waihmgton. D. c.

Unwrap STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

THOMAS GREEN, OF NORTHAMPTON, COUNTY OF NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND.

FASTENING FOR LACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,999, dated April 25, 1882.

Application filed August 11, 1881. (No model.) Patented in England May27, 1881. a

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS GREEN, a citizen of England, residing at Northampton, county of Northampton, England, have invented an Improved Fastening for the Laces of Boots and Shoes and other Laces, also applicable for fastening the cords of windowblinds and other similar purposes, of which the following is a specification. j

In the specification to British Letters Patent granted to me on the 3d July, 1879, No. 2,694, Idescribed a fastening-orgripforsecuringthe laces of boots and shoes, consisting of a piece of metal bent over so as to present a narrow space between two surfaces of the metal, into which space the lace was drawn so as to be held thereby.

According to my presentimprovement, l first bend the outer or free end of a strip of metal so as to fold against the other part, leaving a small space between, and I then form a second bend in the other part, so as to bring the surface of the free end that was first folded over in close proximity to the surface of the other or attached end of the strip, so that said free end will be between the two parts of the'metal formed by the bends and its free extremity extended in close proximity to the straight wall formed by the bends, whereby the lace, when drawn into the fastening device against the free end of the same, cannot be forced around thefree extremitythereof and behind the same, all of which will be more fully hereinafter described.

Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings show one mode of forming and fixing them, the grips being shown to an enlarged scale for the sake of clearness. The strip of metal A, having first had its one end at a roughed or corrugated, then has such end bent over, as shown in perspective at Fig. 1, after which the strip is again bent over, as at d Fig. 2, so as to present a space between the free end aand thepart b, by which the grip is fixed, the bending of the metal forming a straight wall, 6. The space between the parts a and I) mayeither be suificiently narrow to cause a lace to be gripped when drawn into it, assuming that the part b is fixed to the outer surface of the leather; but if the grip be secured to the leather, as shown at Fig. 3, in which case the part b is passed through fixed by an eyelet or other rivet or fastening, e, as shown, the lace is held betweenthe part a and the surface of the leather. In this arrangement sufficientdistance isleft between the parts a and b. to form a narrow space between a and the outer surface of the leather, within which the lace c is drawn, and in which itis held by the combined spring action of the parts wand 07.

i Fig. 4 shows a perspective view, Fig. 5 a side view, and Fig. 6 a cross-section on lineX X, of a modified construction, in which only the extreme part of the end I) is passed behind the leather, for which purpose it is cranked or bent, as shown,so that the other part of b may lie flat against the outer surface of the leather. In this case the lace c is gripped between the two metal surfaces to and b, and to increase the hold of these they are by preference ribbed or corrugated, as shown, so that the ribs of the one partcorrespond with the grooves of the other part, thus causing the lace to be bent into a serpentine form when it is drawn in.

Fig. 7 shows a-perspectivc view, and Fig. 8 a side view, of another modification of the lastdescribed arrangement, in which the end I), instead of being merely cranked for passing behind the leather, is bent back at 2), whereby a somewhat firmer hold on the leather is insured.

In thedifferentforms of grip herein described and illustrated it will be observed that the free end a extends along to a point in close proximity to the wall 6, formed by the bends in the metal, which features perform an important function, in that it prevents the possibility of the lacing getting into the space between the parts a and I) should the lacing he suddenly jerked or drawn into the grip. \Vere this free end a of the grip not extended into the position show11--that is, in proximity to the wall 0, formed by bending the metal-the lacing could pass around the free extremity of the part a, between the same and the wall 6, and would therefore occupy the space between the parts a and b, which obviously would be very objectionable; and therefore to effectually prevent such movement of the lacing I extend the free extremity of the part a to or near the wall 0, as hereinbefore stated. The grip herein described may either be secured by riveting or eyeleting, as shown, or it may be secured .by sewing a slit in the leather to the back thereof and is or other convenient means, either to the leather or to the lining of the boot or shoe, or to both.

The above-described improved form of clip may also be used for securing the laces of other wearing-apparel, such as corsets or gloves, and also for holding the cords of window-blinds and similar purposes, in which case they are provided with suitable lugs or plates for fixing against the wood-work by nails or screws, as indicated at Fig. 9.

Prior to my invention a lacer has been made in which an eye or loop has been formed out of sheet metal by bending the end of the metal which is opposite the base or point where the lacer is connected with the shoe; but in such case the end of the lacing-string wasiuserted through the eye formed by the bend of the metal, and no provision was made for clamping the lacing-string when in position, whereas in my invention the lacing-string is inserted at any point intermediate of its ends between the free end and base of the lacer, and there clamped and retained in its introduced position by the constant spring action of the free end of the lacer, said free end, as before stated, being of such a length that its point or extreme end lies in such close proximity to the inner surface of the lacer that the lacing-string, when inserted between said free end and the base, is prevented from passing the point of the free end when subjected to strain.

Having thus described the nature of my inven tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim in respect to grips for securing the laces of boots and shoes and other similar purposes- A lacing-grip consisting of the metal baseplate A, formed with the outer folded portion,-

Witnesses:

, PARKER GRAY,

Drapery, Northampton. Bron. TOMKINS,

20 Market Square, Northamptom 

